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Tales of Touring Turkey by Fred Moore:
© 2009 by Author
Here’s a topic we’ve not discussed before; I got a haircut in the village on Saturday. Now you’re thinking that’s no big deal, but let me walk you through this adventure. The shop is fairly non-descript from the outside, a simple sign hangs out from the side of the building suggesting it’s an ‘erkek berber salonu’ meaning it’s a men’s barbershop.
From the street you step up onto the sidewalk, cross the walk and step up three more steps to enter the shop. The three barber chairs and wall units consisting of mirrors and cabinets are to the left along the full length of the wall. On the right are two large couches along the wall, but not much sitting room really. The facility is relatively narrow but deep. Of the three chairs available two are occupied so I’m ushered into the third one, which is nearest the door.
The barber is a young man named Mehmet, he has a hint of beard; the thing looks as thought it were drawn on his face with a black magic marker. A number of the young men here have gone to this style of facial art (for lack of a better term). Along with the barber is this young lad maybe eight or ten who runs around getting Mehmet what he needs. I suspect this young man is trying to learn the trade and he’s simply an apprentice. The lad begins by taking my coat and hanging it on the rack in back, and then he gets the drape to throw over me; Mehmet brings the ends together a little too snug to start with and then backs off some. The boy takes my glasses and places them on the counter.
I tell Mehmet that I’d like just a very nice trim and a little off the top. I also tell him to trim up my bread and my eyebrows. He begins with a flurry of motion, combing my hair straight up against the ‘grain’ if you will. He works the scissors and the comb in a steady rhythm motion until he’s got it fully underway; it feels like he’s cutting a ton but in reality he hardly touches the hair. He works at this pace for a good while, twenty minutes at least, and then he changes tactics. He goes to a much smaller scissor and a smaller comb.
That’s done, now Mehmet has the boy get him a little warm water (it’s room temperature and the room isn’t all that warm, but he did ask for warm water). Mehmet changes the blade in his straight razor; yes, you read that right he removes the old blade and slips in a new one. He splashes some water on my neck and begins to trim below my ears and around the collar. Note he’s only using a little water, no lather. He moves the razor down the edge of my hair to shave it and swipes the razor blade back across his other hand on every pass. He’s cleaning the blade on the back of his other hand as he progresses!! Don’t try this at home folks; I can’t believe he is not cutting himself. Once he finishes this task, he has the lad bring him a towel and he dries my neck; he drapes the towel around the back of my neck and leaves it. He grabs a water spray bottle now from the counter and begins to thoroughly wet down my hair, it gets quite saturated because I can feel it running down past the towel.
Mehmet is back to the scissors now, making certain all is trimmed just right and properly done. Remember too while he’s at work here there are others waiting. Mehmet now asks the boy to heat the water; there is an electronic water pot on the counter that looks like it’s for tea but is used here for hot water. It heats in just minutes. Mehmet now splashes my face with warm water and creates a smattering of lather for my beard. He meticulously trims the upper cheeks and my lower lip as I usually shave. He is extremely careful around my bottom lip and upper chin; he’s very good with this straight razor.
Mehmet leans me over the sink and throws water in my face to rinse it. I get another good going over with the towel and he tells the boy to get the handheld mirror, I get the reflection from the large mirror in front of me, all looks great! Oh wait, we’re not through. Mehmet trims the eyebrows and does a little tweaking of his haircut. He seems happy now and prepares for the final treatment. He pulls out a long stiff wire with cotton on the end; it looks like a long handle Q-Tip. He dips it in fluid, probably alcohol but I’m not certain, and then sets fire to it. The flaming wand it taken to my ears and my nose to burn off the errant hairs. Several times in rapid succession he slaps at my ears and waves it around my nose; viola, the treatment is over!! It’s a haircut like no other!
Finally after an hour, I pay both Mehmet and the boy a mere 10 Lira or $6 for the service with thanks and tell them I’ll return in a couple weeks.
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